Ringing
by Totally-Out-Of-It
Summary: Ayumu Narumi has been kidnapped. He needs them, and it's all Eyes can think about. The ringing... Eyes/Ayumu slash shonen-ai Rated for murder attempts, kidnapping, and possible character death. Ayumu always answers his cellphone. Always.
1. Prolog

**Prologue**

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Click! _

"Hello?" a voice finally answered. 

One thing about Ayumu Narumi you should know. He always answers his cell phone. He can ignore the house phone, the emails - does he even check those, the letters, but he always answers his cell phone. 

"Hello?" the voice asked again, a little annoyed. 

"Meet me in one hour at the station," Eyes Rutherford replied, hanging up before waiting for a response.

– – – – 

"What did he want, Ayumu?" Hiyono asked, leaning over the teenage genius curiously. 

"Nothin. He said to meet him at the station in an hour," Ayumu replied, pocketing his cell phone and walking away. 

"The station? Which one? There are tons of stations! Did he even give you a clue?" Hiyono asked, obviously finding the games of the blade children to be almost as tiring as Ayumu did. 

"Hiyono... go on home," Ayumu ordered gently with a soft laugh. "It's not some test he's giving me. I already know where he's waiting." 

"Huh?" Hiyono was obviously confused. 

"Just go home," Ayumu sighed and kept walking away from her. 

"Ayumu, you jerk!" Hiyono called after him before inevitably going home. 

Ayumu knew what station Eyes wanted to meet at. Eyes had done this meeting up thing twice already. He wanted to meet at the station where Ayumu always sat when he was upset. It happened by accident the first time. Eyes had done exactly what Madoka had done so many years ago. 

Ayumu was sitting down on his normal bench as if waiting for the train. A pair of boots stopped in front of him, but they were nothing like Madoka's slim featured legs. It had been Eyes, walking around with only sunglasses to hide him from the public. How no one recognized him was beyond Ayumu's ability to be logical. 

'_I thought I'd find you here,' _he'd said. 

How had Eyes known Ayumu came here to think? 

'_Come, Little Narumi. Your presence has been requested,'_ Eyes had spoken formally the entire time, no different than he normally spoke. 

It turned out that every time Eyes came to find him or told him to meet him at the station, he was being an errand boy for Kousuke. When Kousuke wanted to invite Ayumu along on an outing with the other blade children, he always got Eyes to invite him. Ayumu knew this was a ploy to get Eyes involved as well. Neither one would usually come along unless something like this happened. 

Ayumu was told he needed to meet Eyes, who never talked to someone alone unless it was important, and Eyes would have to deliver Ayumu to Kousuke and thus be at the get together already - so why not stay and have fun? 

Ayumu spotted Eyes at the station and waved a little. Eyes did nothing but Ayumu knew the pianist had spotted him. Eyes was terrible at showing emotion, the brick wall that he was. How did Eyes ever plan to settle down once people stopped hunting him if he never showed emotions? 

"Kousuke-" 

"Sent you to get me," Ayumu finished for Eyes. 

"Quite. I'm to take you to see him at-" 

"Twilight Moon's Coffee Shop," Ayumu finished again. 

Eyes stared at Ayumu for quite some time. Ayumu seemed pleasantly ... pleasant. He was interested in what Eyes would do next. Eyes shrugged to readjust his jacket on his shoulders. Then he made a 'hm' noise and turned to walk off. Ayumu couldn't help but smile at the simplicity of it all. He followed Eyes away from the station and down the street to the café. 

Inside, Kousuke, Ryouko, and Rio were waiting for them. Rio seemed to be upset about something. Ayumu would guess it had something to do with whatever Kousuke had stuffed in his mouth. 

"Hey, Rio. What's wrong?" Ayumu asked to announce their presence. 

"Ayumu! Eyes!" Rio cheered, turning to face them. Then she was clutching to Ayumu and burying her face in his chest. "Ayumu! Kousuke ate my cake! Will you make me another one tomorrow?" 

"Sure. Sure," Ayumu nodded. 

Rio told him she loved his cooking, and she'd been so cute when asking him for a piece of the cake he'd been eating that day that he couldn't help but give her some. Ever since, he'd brought her a piece of cake or a cupcake at the end of every week. Now Rio was a fan of melons and Ayumu's pastries. 

Eyes seemed surprised to see Rio acting this way. Of course, he didn't go to their school so he didn't know about Ayumu bringing her cakes or her attraction to the brunette. Usually, Rio would cling to Eyes, not Ayumu. 

However, the three blade children made room for their two new friends, and thus commenced a bonding day for the blade children and their only hope. Everyone contributed greatly to conversation, except Eyes, who was usually the cause of it's end. 

Ayumu looked over at Eyes and nodded to him. Eyes didn't show it but he knew what Ayumu was trying to say. 'Join in, idiot. These are you friends.' But Eyes just wasn't good with conversation. Ayumu was better, but he still preferred to just listen and comment when necessary. 

About three hours later, Eyes had to go home to plan for his next concert, Ryouko had training until late, and Kousuke had to go somewhere but refused to say where. Rio stood with Ayumu outside the café as they waved to everyone as they left. Eyes was the only one to glance back, but he didn't stop walking away. 

"So, Ayumu, where are you going now?" Rio asked. Ayumu ruffled her hair. 

"Home, to make you a cake," he reminded her. She cheered loudly. 

"Thanks, Ayumu! You're the greatest!" Rio declared, giving him a big hug. One day, she would definitely marry him. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early at school, okay?" 

"You got it," Ayumu promised, even doing a pinkie promise that Rio had him doing lately. 

With that, the youngest appearing blade child ran off, and Ayumu turned for home. They hadn't heard of any new hunters in a while. It was a good thing, and they'd all become good friends, but it also made you wonder what the hunters were planning.

– – – – – 

"Hello?" Eyes Rutherford answered his phone, hiding the fact that he'd just woken up, even though it was nearly afternoon. 

"Narumi didn't show up for school? Really, Rio, is that anything to get so upset about?" Eyes asked and then pulled the phone away from his ear. After a brief yelling tantrum, Rio hung up with a definitive click. 

"Hm," Eyes shrugged and slipped the phone back onto the bedside table. He got out of bed and dressed himself for the rest of the day. He'd been up so late the night before that he'd forgotten to change his clothing for bed. 

Knock. Knock. 

"Yes?" 

"Mr. Rutherford, this letter came for you just now," the woman at the door said, holding it out on a platter. 

Eyes took the paper and the woman retreated. After reading it twice, Eyes picked up his cell phone and dialed a preprogrammed number. 

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrrring. _

_Brrr- _

_Click! _

"You've reached Ayumu Narumi. I'm not available so leave a message and I'll get back to you." 

_Beep! _

"..." 

One thing about Ayumu Narumi you should know. He always answers his cell phone. He can ignore the house phone, the emails, the letters, but he always answers his cell phone. Always. 

Eyes looked across the room at the sky this morning. His eyes widened and he looked down at the letter he'd gotten. He let the letter fall to the floor and quickly hung up the phone. The letter on the floor shown in the sun like a bright red traffic cone, despite the paper being white. 

'Narumi has been obtained. It's time to play a game. I will call you at six o'clock to explain the rules.' 

* * *

A/N: So, my first Spiral story. Hope this got you interested. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"We have a situation," Kousuke read aloud. He was holding his cell phone out. It was displaying a text message from Eyes Rutherford. 

"Eh eh?" Rio bounced a little, trying to read ahead of Kousuke. They were all on the roof of the school, skipping of course. Kousuke grunted and moved the phone higher to make sure Rio couldn't read it. 

"Narumi has been - what!" Kousuke exclaimed. Rio and Ryouko waited with baited breath to hear what happened. Kousuke read the rest on his own. Text messages could only hold so much. 

"Well? What happened to Ayumu?" 

They all looked over and saw Hiyono glaring at them. She'd tried to call Ayumu twice today, on his house phone of course, and was worried sick about him. Ayumu never missed school, even when he was sick. 

"You're not gonna like it," Kousuke replied, closing his phone and his eyes. 

"I don't care. Tell me," Hiyono ordered, taking out her stunning electric device. Kousuke took a step back from her. 

"Rutherford just sent me a message that read 'Narumi has been captured by the hunters. Come to the studio at 5.' That's all I know," Kousuke put his hands up as if that would defend him from the shock if she were to attack him that very instant. 

"Ayumu...has been kidnapped!" Hiyono gasped, dropping her stun gun and covering her mouth. "What do we do?" 

"Rutherford obviously has a plan, so calm down. Geez. We'll go and see what's happening and then... Rio will call you. Okay?" Kousuke offered as a plan. 

"What!" Rio and Hiyono both responded with angry faces and surprised tones. They began to close in on the red haired blachi, so he decided it was time to opt out. Muttering something about seeing them later, Kousuke sped off the roof as fast as he could.

– – – – – – 

"Where could you be hiding, Little Narumi?" 

A map was spread out on top of a sleek black surface, paper weights holding down each corner. Where oh where could he be hidden? Eyes just wouldn't know anything until the hunters gave him a clue at six. The young pianist nearly hit his piano in aggravation. 

Meanwhile, a brown haired protagonist was hiding behind a barrel. He glanced over the top and saw the man responsible for his capture was walking around the opposite side of the room with a gun in his hand. 

"You've miscounted, Little Narumi," a chuckling voice whispered into his ear. Ayumu jumped away, knocking over the barrel he was hiding behind. 

The hunter across the room gasped and turned to see what Ayumu was planning and saw his partner had grabbed Ayumu, holding his arms behind his back. The blonde hunter with the gun walked over to them with a smile on his face. 

"Thanks, Liam. I almost thought he'd escaped," he shrugged, pocketing his gun. 

"Wouldn't have that problem if you'd just tied him up the way you was supposed to, Eric," Liam grunted in reply. 

"I don't know what game you're playing, but I want no part in it. I told everyone the same thing weeks ago," Ayumu spoke up. He grunted in pain as Liam pulled his arms backwards a bit tighter. 

"Well too bad you don't have a say in this. This is a game for the blade children. You're just a means to the prize. Now shut up and be good and we'll consider not killing you too," Eric glared at him. The defiant look in Ayumu's eyes annoyed him, however, and he punched the teen in the gut. 

Ayumu gasped and went limp in Liam's grasp. Liam released Ayumu's arms and glared up at Eric. 

"What did you do that for?" he yelled. 

"He was staring at me, and I didn't like it," Eric replied. "Tie him up and report back when you're done." 

With that, Eric walked away. He had a phone call to make soon. Liam wanted to argue back, but Eric was already gone. With a sigh of annoyance, he lifted the unconscious Narumi off the floor and carried him back to his holding cell.

– – – – – – – – – 

Eyes Rutherford stood at his window, watching the sun get closer to the horizon. Without even one knock, his door opened and the other blade children entered the room. They sat on Eyes' couch and waited for the pianist to speak. Kousuke noticed the map laid out on the piano and wondered if Eyes had any idea where Ayumu was. 

"Rutherford," he spoke up. Eyes turned from the window and walked to the middle of the room. 

"The hunters said they'd call at six, but I wanted you all here in time to hear it. Also, I wanted your opinions on what has happened," Eyes explained, arms crossed as per usual when he was in thought. 

Eyes sat down at his piano and began to play a simple, soft tune. Everyone would still be able to hear everyone else. 

"I'm worried about him! We have to help Ayumu!" Rio declared fiercely. Eyes did not stop playing. 

"Ya but... Ayumu got kidnaped. How often does something like that happen?" Ryouko asked, unsure. 

"She's right. If Ayumu got caught by them, we might be in trouble. Whenever one of us gets in trouble, Narumi's usually the one who comes up with the bright ideas to get us out. If they outwitted even _him_, we don't stand a chance!" Kousuke voiced his worry. 

And Eyes stopped playing. 

All stares were drawn to Eyes. The pianist's fingers were poised over the keys as if he'd forgotten the next one to push. 

"Eyes?" Ryouko asked. 

"He wasn't outwitted. I'm guessing he was kidnapped like anyone else," Eyes said, letting them in on his thoughts for once. 

"So... is he a tool or a victim?" Ryouko asked. 

The room was enveloped in silence. No one knew and all they could do was wait until six. Their minds were filled with questions. Was Ayumu alright? What were they doing to him, and how did they capture him in the first place? Was he scared? Why Ayumu? 

A melody of music began to play and Eyes looked at his cell phone suspiciously. 

"That's not what plays when I call," Kousuke commented, almost if upset about it. 

"Who's calling?" Rio asked. She bounced over to Eyes and spotted 'Ayumu Narumi' on the caller id before Eyes answered it. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey," Ayumu's voice replied in an almost offhanded manner. 

"Narumi? What's going on?" Eyes asked. 

"I thought you'd been kidnapped!" Kousuke yelled at the speaker phone. 

"Heh," Ayumu went quite. "I have been." 

For a moment, no one spoke. They were all waiting for Ayumu to continue. 

"It's a little embarrassing for me. They've got me stuck in this big tank of room. I don't even have my cell phone. They hooked it up through some gizmo and I'm only talking through this weird headset they gave me," he explained. 

Ayumu was sitting against the wall in a big blue room. His right leg was out straight while his left leg was bent up. He frowned at his feet. 

"How the hell did they catch you?" Kousuke asked. 

"Yea! And how come you haven't escaped yet? You've helped us out of sticky places before," Ryouko added. 

Ayumu was silent. Maybe he was choosing his words carefully. The hunters were no doubt monitoring his call. 

"Last night, I went home and I made Rio her cake. On the way to school this morning, I was grabbed from behind and knocked out with chloroform," Ayumu replied, pausing while the blade children took this in. "And trust me, I've tried to get away. I tried to sneak out, but I can't get to the doorway. Especially with... heh." 

Ayumu's voice faded out. He lowered his head. He reached his hand down to his ankle and pulled on the chain there. It was relatively long but it wouldn't help him even if it were twenty feet long. 

On the other end of the phone, the blade children heard the rattling of his chain across the ground around their friend. 

"You're chained to the ground," Eyes guessed, although it sounded like he knew for certain. 

"Yep." Ayumu nodded. 

"Alright, enough of the dull drums," the hunter's voice entered in. "You know why we let you call them, Little Narumi." 

"Right," Ayumu replied. "Alright, guys, I'm in a fish tank." 

"A fish tank? Are you sure?" Rio asked, getting as close to the phone as Eyes would let her. 

"Of course. It's in an aquarium sort of place. When I tried to escape I saw barrels of fish food and sea salt for water. So I'm almost sure I'm at an aquarium," Ayumu explained. 

"That's enough." The hunter said and a sound caused static over the phone. 

"W-What the-?" Ayumu's voice sounded and his chain clattered as he moved. 

"What's going on, Ayumu?" Kousuke asked, clenching his fists. 

"The tank is beginning to fill with water. It doesn't have a ceiling of it's own, so there's no way to cut off his air supply completely, but being attached to the floor does pose a problem. Soon, the water will rise above his head. You have approximately four hours to figure out where he is and save him before Little Narumi runs of out time," the hunter said. 

The phone cut off with an audible click. Eyes snapped his phone shut and stood by his piano. 

"W-What are we gonna do! Ayumu's gonna drown!" Rio whined. 

"I want to save him as much as you, Rio, but it's obviously a trap. They would never let him reveal so many clues to us if they were just going to hand him over quietly," Ryouko said, putting a hand on Rio's shoulder. 

"But we're still gonna try! Right Eyes?" Rio asked hopefully, looking at her favorite pianist. Eyes said nothing, nor did he show any signs of hearing her. 

"He's at an aquarium where they have an empty tank big enough to last four hours of water spilling into it before it fills... or at least until Ayumu's chain runs out of length. That's also banking on Ayumu being able to keep above the water that long. So we're hoping he has a lot of strength in his body besides just his mind. Not to mention, there'll be traps all over the place if they're anything like the other hunters," Kousuke thought aloud. 

"He's at the Enchantment Under The Sea Aquarium," Eyes spoke up. 

"Wha-? How did you figure that out?" Kousuke asked, annoyed at being thrown off his thought process. 

"It's the only aquarium within reasonable distance that is under construction," Eyes explained, grabbing his coat and sliding it on. 

"Oh." 

Following Eyes's example, they all got up and left. Ayumu Narumi's life depended on their ability to find him amidst building supplies and traps. He needed them, that's all Eyes could think about.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ayumu stood against the wall and sighed. The water was at his ankles. If he was going to be thankful for anything in this moment, it would be that the water was lukewarm. So at least he wouldn't freeze to death first. Too bad he didn't have a will. 

What a riot. A will? What would he say? Madoka, you can have my cooking things, my cook books, oh! and my brother, if he ever comes back. Hiyono, you can have any toys or stuffed animals in my room that you can find. Rio gets one of my three jackets, any of her choice - Hiyono can have one too. Kousuke and Ryouko can split any money I have to my name and Eyes... Hm... 

What would Eyes Rutherford want of his? Heck, he could hardly pick one out for Kousuke and Ryouko, but what about Eyes? Um... Eyes can have... the last of my jackets, my CDs - all three of them, and... oh yes. Eyes can have my eternal admiration and respect - if that means anything at all to him. 

He didn't think he was forgetting anyone. Too bad he'd never be able to write it down or pass it on. Oh well. Madoka would get everything in that case. He felt bad for her, though. His brother left her and now Ayumu, himself, was kidnapped and murdered. That poor woman. 

"Don't look so glum, Little Narumi. They've already arrived," The hunter's voice spoke over an intercom. 

Narumi looked down at himself. "Yay." 

The water was to his shoulders.

– – – – – – – 

"Which way, Rutherford?" Kousuke asked, looking at the split hallway. 

The inside of the aquarium was a maze of tanks and shops. Not to mention all the yellow tape and caution signs due to the construction. The blade children had come all in a group although they knew it was a trap. They knew they'd probably need help from each one of them to get to Ayumu, so they had no choice. 

"Rio... You make the decision," Eyes muttered. 

All eyes turned to the small girl as she walked to the front of the group. She looked both ways, judging what traps were where, the chance of the roof caving in on them, any possible explosives, and time to get to Ayumu - wherever that was. 

"We go right," Rio said. "The left has less chance of death." 

Kousuke hated that logic, but he knew it was reasonable. Still, he'd have preferred the 'less chance of death' path. The blade children made their way down the right path, around the cones and under the yellow caution tape. Then, an ear shattering screech, like that of a megaphone, ran through the hall. 

"Welcome, Blade children. Might I say, I'm not the least bit surprised you found out where we were so suddenly. Still, you'll find traps are laid out for you on your way to Little Narumi. If you chose to continue, the first trap will present itself. If not, I suppose the boy will die," the hunter's voice explained. 

"He knows where we are," Ryouko took a stance, ready for something to come at them. 

"Well, now we know we chose the right path, at least," Kousuke offered, taking a similar stance. 

"Chose quickly, his feet have left the ground," the hunter taunted. 

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Eyes asked in his monotone way. 

"Tch. If you insist," the hunter chided and a display tv, which would usually be telling you about the area you were in, clicked on near the roof. On it, Ayumu was floating in a tank of water. Indeed, his feet were mere inches off the ground and he seemed to be using very little strength to stay up. "Satisfied, Rutherford?" 

"Quite. We chose to continue," Eyes replied. 

"Suit yourselves," the hunter laughed and the speakers cut off. 

"What was that, Rutherford?" Ryouko asked, glaring at the pianist. "We know he's telling the truth. Ayumu told us that himself! Why waste time getting proof?" 

"Because. Now let us hurry," Eyes said, walking on ahead. He couldn't admit that he'd wanted to see Ayumu just to be sure he was still alright. He wanted to see Ayumu just for the sake of seeing him. It gave him more determination. 

Soon after walking forward, they came to another crossroads. Only, this time, it wasn't a splitting hallway. This crossroads was in the form of a trap. They were standing at the beginning of a water tunnel. Visible bombs were attached to the glass that lined the hallway. There were no fish in them but the explosion, then the glass and water it released on them, would no doubt injure, or even kill, at least one of them. 

"Be careful, everyone. There are thin lasers bouncing off the glass and all around this area," Kousuke warned. 

"We can see that, Kousuke. Don't point out the obvious," Ryouko scolded. "But it's okay. I can get through there easily with my athletic skills." 

"What about the rest of us?" Eyes pointed out. 

"Maybe there's a disarm switch on the other side," she said, not wanting to have sounded dumb. 

"Be my guest," Eyes said, motioning toward the lasers and stepping out of the way. 

Ryouko hesitantly walked to where the lasers began. Did Eyes know something she did not? Why was he so calm about her going through the lasers? Did he think she was just being childish? 

'No. No questions, Ryouko. Concentrate,' she told herself. 

Preparing herself mentally and physically, Ryouko looked over the layout of the lasers. Then, with a deep breath, she proceeded to perform acrobatic-like moves to get through all the lasers. With a final dive and roll, she stood up safe on the other side. 

"How do you like that, Rutherford?" she asked, turning around and sticking her tongue out. She took about two steps back from the lasers. 

"You missed one," Eyes said, just before Ryouko stepped backwards right into a final laser. 

The bombs on the glass began to beep instantly. Eyes darted forward through the ever vanishing lasers. He didn't check to see if the others were following - They were. The bombs went off after was seemed like forever to Eyes. To the others, it must have all happened so fast, but Eyes was watching in slow motion. He braced himself as the glass around them shattered, and water poured in on them all. 

"Kousuke!" Ryouko called out as the red head was swept off his feet by the water while trying to help Rio. 

Eyes ran right past Ryouko and turned down into the next large room. Ryouko was hit with water and flung into the wall, soon joined by Kousuke and Rio. The water was too fast for them, but Eyes had a different goal here than any of them, and it was helping him see things clearer. The water burst into and spread out in the large room Eyes was in, becoming little more than a gentle wave past the pianist's ankles. 

He looked back at where the others were groaning and trying to recollect themselves from their new positions on the ground and against a wall. They would be fine. 

"Now where, Hunter?" Eyes called to the room, still in a very Eye's Rutherford fashion and yet it held an odd sort of determination. 

A tv for this show room came on across the room from Eyes. Ayumu was on the screen and, Eyes could clearly see him using his arms and legs to stay afloat. The headset Ayumu had been wearing earlier to speak with them was on the ground of the tank, and Eyes saw the glittering metal chain pooled on the ground below Narumi. It would never allow him to reach the top. They'd be lucky if it let him reach the three quarters point. 

"Ayumu...," Eyes breathed. He didn't have much time.

– – – – – – 

The hunter, Eric, watched Eyes pass through the room and onto the next task. Only two more and he'd get to Little Narumi's tank. Some might ask how he could just sit by and watch an innocent boy die. Or how he could set such brutal tasks in the way of saving this boy. This hunter would say it was all for the good, and he'd killed children before. 

Ayumu would run out of strength soon and the blade children would be devastated. Then they'd be injured and exhausted. That was the opportune moment to attack them all. That's when the blade children would die. 

Eric looked at his screen showing Ayumu and frowned. But at this rate, Eyes would get to Ayumu before the job could be done. He'd have to up the stakes. With a wicked grin, the man pushed another button and the water pipes opened one and a half inches wider, letting through exponentially larger sums of water. There. Now Narumi would definitely be gone by the time Eyes arrived.

– – – – – 

Eyes stood before another hall. Hunters were so unoriginal. This time, however, the explosives that were to kill Eyes were well hidden. But Eyes knew he had to be careful of this hallway. Why would all the other rooms be carpet and this one be tile? 

And some tiles were a darker color than the rest. These were decoys to make Eyes believe the bombs were under them. No doubt they were under random tiles. Eyes glared ahead and took his first few steps forward. He had no way of knowing which tiles were the bombs unless the tiles that seemed to have been placed incorrectly were the bombs. He'd have to trust that to be the answer. 

Eyes began to walk down the hall in a completely straight line, straight through the middle. He passed possible bomb after possible bomb and nothing was triggered. When he reached the end of the hall, he stopped and turned around. Were there bombs or had he been over complicating things? 

Eyes eyed a barrel of fish food near the end of the hall and pushed it on it's side. Just as the other blade children began to hobble into view of the hall, Eyes pushed the barrel down the hall and over his possible bombs. As soon as it rolled over one, the entire barrel went up in smoke and fire. 

"What the hell was that?" Kousuke yelled, holding his arm. It seemed to at least be sprained if not broken. 

"Bombs. Walk on the path that goes straight through the center and you should be fine," Eyes explained, continuing on to help Ayumu. He didn't need their help. This was for Ayumu.

– – – 

Ayumu tried to grip the wall but it was useless. The wall was as flat as a board. There was nothing yet in here to make it look like an ocean. That made it difficult for Ayumu to grab a hold of something, anything. He could feel his chest beginning to react to the force of the water and his breath was shorter. He was getting tired. How long had he been in here? 

The hunter said four hours and he'd be dead, but the water had started coming faster about ten minutes ago. Ayumu could almost bet they were cheating. He was... he was really going to die. Come to think of it, this was a good time to rethink life. 

'No time for lying, Ayumu,' he told himself. 'What are your thoughts?' 

The blade children coming for him were probably Kousuke, Rio, and Ryouko. Eyes probably wouldn't take the time to come after him. He'd assume the others could take care of it. But Ayumu wished Eyes would come. He wanted Eyes to be the one who saved him in the end. 

Ayumu slipped below the surface for the first time. The water surrounded him and he felt tied down with more than just the chain on his ankle. 

'I love Eyes Rutherford,' Ayumu admitted to himself. 'God, I've loved him for weeks now.' 

Ayumu's head broke the surface, and he gasped for air. How long could he stay up? How long until the chain ran out? How long? How long until it was too late? How long until he died and never got to tell Eyes how he felt? How long?

* * *

A/N: One chapter to go! Whoo! 


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Eyes heard it. There was a ringing in his ears. He stopped and covered his ears but it was still there. Why were his ears ringing? Had the explosions effected him even though he hadn't been hit? 

"Time's running out," the hunter's voice called out as Eyes put his hands down. "Little Narumi only has about thirty minutes of chain left." 

"30? But he should have an hour," Eyes replied. 

"About that. You were doing so well I thought we'd up the stakes," the hunter explained smugly. 

"You're cheating," Eyes growled lightly. 

"This isn't a game, Rutherford. This is life, and this is death. Get used to it," was the response before the sound shut off again. 

Eyes cursed. He had almost no idea where he was going. Ayumu could be in any of these tanks, any of these halls. He had no more clues to help him. He had to rely on what he could see and find on his way. He just had to hope he didn't take a wrong turn.

– – – – – 

Narumi knew his strength was fading. He'd hear the hunter's voice every once in a while, telling him the progress of the blade children, but he couldn't really understand him anymore. The water kept getting in his ears and Ayumu was finding it harder and harder to float as his chain was running shorter lately. Actually, he was sure it was fully out now. Because he felt it's sudden tug and the water was still rising. 

"Ah..." Ayumu's heart sped up. He would really drown. He didn't want to die! Where were those blade children? "Eyes! Kousuke! Rio! Anybody!"

– – – – – 

Eyes had two paths to chose. According to the hunter's last transmission, Ayumu was just down one of these halls. He was almost there. Hang on Ayumu. 

"Narumi, I need a sign," Eyes muttered. 

As if on cue, Ayumu's calls for help echoed from the left path. Eyes couldn't help but smirk as he ran down the passageway. The other blade children were right behind him. They all stopped shortly though. They could hear the water running in the next room but.. A large door stood between them and Ayumu and if their ears were truthful, there was enough electricity running through this door to kill them all at once. 

"There's gotta be a disarm switch somewhere," Ryouko rationalized. 

"They want to kill us. They wont always give us a way to turn it off," Kousuke scolded. 

"Then what would be the point?" Ryouko growled back. 

Eyes came over and grabbed Ryouko's arms, sticking them to her sides so she couldn't move. Before she could argue, Eyes had pushed her backwards and one a black dot. As her weight hit it, a beep went off. 

"W-What was that?" Rio asked. Eyes nodded. 

"Rio, stand on that black square," Eyes pointed out the other shape and Rio did as she was told. Another beep went off and the sound of electricity died. 

"The electricity stopped!" Rio gasped. 

"A switch activated by weight. Brilliant. Alright, don't move, you two. The current will start again if you get off, I'm sure of it," Kousuke nodded. 

"Kousuke! I have an idea," Eyes said, walking over to Kousuke and murmuring so any listening devices wouldn't be able to hear him.

– – – – – 

Ayumu was underwater, submerged. He'd been under for a good 15 seconds. It was easier to hold your breath when you weren't struggling to get up or down. Ayumu knew there was no point in struggling. He wouldn't go anywhere. But... His head was getting dizzy at 25 seconds. Ayumu was NOT a champion at holding his breath, that was for sure. 

He couldn't... he couldn't breathe. His heart was pounding so fast, he must have become a bird. He was... dying. He could feel it. And he hadn't told Eyes that he loved him yet... Then Ayumu's mouth opened and all his air escaped. 

The door was pulled open at the top of the tank and Eye Rutherford walked out onto the ground up there, usually reserved for trainers. 

"Too late," the hunter's voice called out. "Darn. If only you'd been a few seconds faster. Key's on the wall if you still want his body." 

Eyes's eyes widened as he spotted Narumi under the water, eyes closed and limp. No! The pianist grabbed the key, stripped his jacket and dove into the pool of water. Right at Narumi's ankle, Eyes jammed the key in and forced it to unlock. He realized halfway through that it wasn't the proper key. This whole trap was set so that Ayumu would never be rescued. But through sheer force, Eyes got the key to work. He pulled Ayumu to the surface and set him out on the dry land. 

'He's not breathing!' Eyes noted in a panic. He plugged Ayumu's nose and pressed his mouth to his. Then he pulled back and performed CPR. 

"Breathe!" Eyes ordered, trying again. The door opened again and Rio and Ryouko stepped in. They must have found some barrels or something to take their places on the switches. 

"Ah! Ayumu!" Rio cried out. The site of Ayumu Narumi laying on the floor, not moving, not breathing, was a ghastly one. It just wasn't something you could expect. 

"Were we too late?" Ryouko asked, worried etched onto her face as well. Rio hid her face in Ryouko's damp clothes. 

Eyes paid them no mind and continued CPR. Ayumu couldn't die on him like this! Breathe, dammit! 

"The hunter's are down," Kousuke's voice came over the intercom. "How's Ayumu?" 

Eyes was beginning to panic for real. Ayumu wasn't... he wasn't responding. God dammit! 

Eyes pushed a little too hard on the next push and Ayumu spit up so much water you'd think he sucked up the entire tank. Eyes heard the others gasp and the opposite door opened to allow Kousuke to enter. So the hunters were planning to come get them after they were tired from saving Ayumu Narumi. 

Eyes did one more round of CPR, and Ayumu coughed up more water, rolling onto his side and gasping for air. His mind swirled, his head hurt like hell. Had he been... saved? He looked up and swore he saw Eyes through his blurry vision. But Eyes wouldn't be here. Maybe this was one last hallucination before he died. 

"I..." 

"Don't try to talk. You almost died," Eyes ordered. 

"I love you," Ayumu whispered and only Eyes heard. Then Ayumu lifted himself up just enough to kiss Eyes on the cheek before he fell back to the stone floor and passed out. 

"D-Did he just...?" Kousuke asked, taking a step back. 

"He must still be in a haze from the lack of oxygen to his brain. He probably saw Rio or Hiyono," Eyes replied rather melancholy. He reached under Ayumu and lifted him a bit. Then he paused. "Kousuke, give me a hand." 

Kousuke was a little hesitant, afraid Ayumu would wake up and kiss him as well, but he helped anyway.

– – – – – 

Ayumu opened his eyes slowly, groaning. Where was he? Heaven? The sun was shining but it was being blocked by his bedroom blinds. The room was dark but he definitely recognized it as his own room. So had he been saved? Had Eyes really pulled him out and had he... really kissed him on the cheek and admitted his feelings for him? 

"It's just a dream," Eyes's sexy voice murmured. Ayumu looked over at the pianist who was sitting in a chair nearby. 

"Eyes?" Ayumu asked. 

"Do you love me?" Eyes asked, looking over at Ayumu with his normal, unyielding eyes. When Ayumu didn't reply, Eyes rose from his chair and sat on the bed by Ayumu. "Do you love me?" he asked again. 

This had to be a dream. The real Eyes would never say something like that. 

"...Yes," he admitted in a breath, looking up at Eyes. He'd dreamt of Eyes over him before but this time seemed so much more intense. Usually in his dreams, Eyes was also naked but he'd never been able to see Eyes's full body. 

"You want to kiss me?" 

"Yes." What was the point in lying? 

"You want me." This time it wasn't a question. Eyes was staring right into his with an odd sort of determination and judgment. 

"More than a sparkling set of brand new pro cooking knives," Ayumu replied. When it came to Ayumu and cooking, this meant he loved you a lot. 

Eyes smirked a little and leaned down, kissing Ayumu. Ayumu replied to the kiss and put a hand on Eyes's head. Eyes deepened the kiss and soon it was all out, passionate, french kissing. Ayumu was convinced of it now. He'd drowned, died and gone to heaven. This was his paradise. He still felt groggy, but he should expect to feel that way after drowning, he supposed. 

"Ayumu...," Eyes murmured during a break to breathe. 

"Hm?" Ayumu asked. Eyes never called him Ayumu either. 

"This isn't a dream. You're alive and in my arms. And I swear, if you ever go and scare me to death like that again, I'll throw you back in the water myself." It was an uncharacteristic Eyes comment but in the oddly fitting Eyes Rutherford threatening tone. 

"Wha-?" Ayumu's eyes widened and he pushed away from Eyes. Eyes watched him calmly. 

So this wasn't heaven? Eyes had really gotten him to admit he loved him, had really saved him, had really just made out with him and called him by his first name! 

"I didn't... drown?" Ayumu asked, still surprised. 

"No. Kousuke took out the hunters while I jumped in to save you. You may have been dead for a few moments, but I wasn't going to let you leave us all like that. You coughed up half a pool before I got you breathing again. You really shouldn't scare us like that. You made Rio cry," Eyes explained. 

"R-Rio? You asshole!" Ayumu sat up straight and pushed Eyes lightly. Eyes looked at his arm, where Ayumu had pushed him, and then up at Ayumu. "I don't care if I made Rio cry, what about you and what you just did?" 

"What did I just do?" Eyes asked in his normal emotionless tone. 

"The kiss, Rutherford. What did you mean by that kiss?" Ayumu asked, getting rather annoyed at the silver haired pianist. Eyes gazed at Ayumu for a moment, not moving, before he leaned in and tried to kiss him again. 

"No." Ayumu stopped him. "I wont let you until you tell me why." 

"Because you're mine, Little Narumi," Eyes replied. Ayumu gave him a curious look. "You nearly died, I saved your life. I wont let you get into another trap without letting you know I'll always come to save you. I'll do my best to keep you safe." 

Ayumu's lips were then claimed by Eyes. He'd given a reason and so he had a right to at least one more kiss. Ayumu didn't mind. He kept kissing Eyes too. Eyes didn't say 'I love you' like Ayumu did, and he still called him 'Little Narumi', but Ayumu understood. Those were just quirks about Eyes. 

The next day at school, Hiyono and Rio kept hugging him and glaring at everyone who wasn't a blade child who came near him. Kousuke and Ryouko greeted him and Ryouko gave him a brief hug, but his body guards quickly moved her along. They'd be like that for a while but Ayumu Narumi could deal with it. He caught Eyes watching him from his glass room, or walking down the street as though he were being sneaky. It was another quirk of Eyes's. 

Suddenly, Ayumu's pocket began to vibrate and he pulled out his cell phone. He glanced at the caller i.d. briefly before answering. 

"Hello?" Ayumu answered. Hiyono and Rio tried to see who was calling by putting their ears near Ayumu's but Ayumu shooed them away. 

"Hello," the soft reply came. 

"So am I going to meet you at the station?" Ayumu asked with a small smile. 

"No..." 

"No?" 

"Meet me... at my piano." 

"Hm... Okay," Ayumu smiled almost lovingly at the phone before he and the other person hung up. Hiyono and Rio couldn't see his face but the way he hurried off without them and the tone his voice had taken told them everything. He must be in love with someone. And it wasn't one of them. No! Never! They would fight for their Ayumu! 

But they lost him somehow on his journey to meet the mysterious love. Ayumu easily stepped into an elevator, knowing he had escaped his bodyguards. He had an idea and pulled out his phone. 

Eyes Rutherford picked up his phone. He'd gotten a message. 

'_I love you.' _it read. 

Ayumu checked his phone and couldn't help but laugh at himself. He held the phone open in his hand. The message he'd gotten in return was priceless. All it said was 'Little Naru', his new nickname from Eyes. 

Eyes certainly had an odd way of showing he cared. But Eyes was the only person to call him on his cell phone, because Eyes knew something about Ayumu that no one else did. Ayumu could ignore the house phone, the emails, and the letters, but he always answered his cell phone. 

Always.


End file.
